Tooth cleaning device



June 28, 1949.

M. J. MccAUGHLEY TOOTH CLEANING DEVICE Filed July 21, 1945 NToR Flaw/5y s f w ATTORNEY `,types of gum diseases.

Patented June 28, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOOTH CLEANING DEVICE Michael J. McCaughley, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application `uly 21, 1945, Serial No. 606,377

4 Claims. 1 This invention relates to tooth cleaning devices in general and to the process for making parts thereof.

Among the objects of the present invention, it

` is aimed to provide a tooth cleaning device which will enable the user, more particularly the layman, effectively to clean his own teeth in such a manner that he will` be able to intimately engage the accessible surfaces of his teeth and those surfaces inaccessible to the bristles of the conventional tooth brush.

It` has been found as an instance that the conventional practice employed by an individual to clean his own teeth is by means of a brush or the like. In this practice, it is recognized b-y the dental. profession that the bristles of a brush, even when used by a careful individual, may gain access to only limited surfaces of the teeth of the average individual and that extensive surfaces of the teeth are practically inaccessible to the bristles of a tooth brush. In the next place, it has also been found that the formation of tartar results from lms or mucin deposits on the teeth, which films or deposits are not effectively removed by the bristles of the conventional tooth brush and if removed at all, are only partially removed where the bristles of the brush of a user have free access to such films or mucin deposits.

Due to the fact that extensive surface areas of the teeth of the ordinary individual are practically inaccessible to the bristles of a conventional tooth brush, it has been impossible entirely to remove such films or mucin deposits, and in turn, properly to clean the teeth by the conventional tccth brush.

To this end, it is an object to produce an improved tooth cleaning device which will make it possible for the average individual effectively to remove objectionable films, food debris and mucin from the surfaces of the teeth which are not ordinarily accessible to the bristles of the conventional tooth brush, as well as to those surfaces which are readily accessible.

The dental profession has also recognized that the daily massaging of the gums is very important to maintain healthy gums and to prevent, retard, and in some cases actually to eliminate certain To this latter end, it is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved tooth cleaning device by means of which the average individual may effectively clean and polish his teeth as well as to massage this gums by one and the same device.

It is also an object of the present invention `to provide an improved process formaking tooth cleaning pads or buffers constituting a part of the tooth cleaning device.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the invention will appear from the subjoined detail description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device shown in position, in full lines, to clean the inner surface of an upper tooth, and in dash and dot lines in position to clean the inner surface of a lower tooth;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental side elevation of the device partly in section and enlarged relative to full scale;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental end elevation of the device drawn to the same scale as that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; i Fig. 5is a perspective of a cleaning element or pad slightly enlarged relative to the scale of the device shown in Fig. 2.

The cleaning device consists essentially ofa handle I composed of any suitable substance such as wood, plastic and the like, having an internally threaded chamber 2 and in the present instance two receding bases 3 and Il. The internally threaded chamber 2 screw-threadedly receives the chambered support or shank 5 of the supporting element 6 having the rectangular recesses or openings 'I therein to receive the knurled control sleeve 3 screw-threadedly mounted on the shank 9 which is movable in the chamber IIJ of the support 6. The shank 9 hasformed in its outer end a thin flexible rod portion II which is pivotally connected bythe pin I2 in the bearings i3 and I4 at one end of the chambered holder I5, in the present instance. The holder I5 is substantially rectangular in cross-section, having an upper wall lli, a lower wall il and two lateral walls I 8 and I9. 'I'he walls I8 and IS, see Fig. 4, are inclined to one another and have in the present instance recesses removed from the bearings I3 and I4 rto receive the pins 20 and 2| at the ends of the arms 22 and 23 respectively, preferably consistouter end of the support 5. Preferably the rod portion II is exible for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

With the exception of the handle I, preferably all of the other elements so far described, including the support I, sleeve 8, shank 9, portion II,

Larms 22` and 23, and holder I5 are composed of metal.

`The holder I5 is formed to receive removable As aninstance, if the palatal or inner face of an upper tooth is to be polished, see the full line position of the device in Fig. ,1, the pad 24 may form an angle of substantially 90 with the support 6. If, on the other hand, the lingual or inner face of a lower Vtooth is to be polished, see the dash and dot line position of the device in Fig. 1.,..then thesame mayebeusedto advantage when `the p'ad 24 is adjustedxto'zform an angle of about minate in the blunt end 33, while the receding t,

faces 30 and 32 in turn incline toward one another and terminate in the blunt lend 314?. fPads ,-fi

. thesleeve 8. will enable the holder I5 to assume such as the pad 24 are removablefrom the holder I5 and are intended to be discardedafter usefor obvious reasons. VFurthermore,vthe pads' .24rare formed of such material that they can beproduced at low cost to .enable the user to'discard them after each treatment at comparatively low lfcostff To this end, it has been found that excellent results have been-'achieved when the blocks were` made of 'some inexpensive substance; such I aswool` felt or theflike,1having a surface nap fwhich will .readilyreinove all food debris, films "-i'andv'lmucin fromfthe surfaces of the teeth by a slight rubbing or polishing action. Sincefela as sults have been achieved when the padsare iwdipped in a` solution consisting of lalcohol,.resins L 'such as. Manila 1resin, phenol' crystals and a avoring substance such as aromatic peppermint,

1il--this lsolutionforming a --waterI resistant coating @that is in additionfantisepticfand also pleasant to the taste of the user. It has also beenK found to advantage to dip the" pads `24 initially in a s0- .lutionof alcohol and resin to rforma water lresistant coating,'with or without a avoring substance such as aromatic peppermint,- and -after'the 4coating r'has dried', then to dip the so formed Ypads in an antiseptic solution Acomposed either of chlorine or metaphen.

r*The -flavoring-substance is added primarily to 4voffset the taste of the resinousfgum, which is ob- "jectionable to the average taste.

" The' solution for forming the lwater resistant vcoating preferably yconsists of 'three parts by i weight of alcohol of -l90 proof, to one part' by weight of a.V resinous gum such as Manila resin. `The phenol-crystals when'fadded to the solution .forming the water resistant coating should not "excee'dve percent byw'eight of the entire xsolution, and the flavoringI substance, if aromatic peppermint is used, need not exceed one table- `fspoon to a pound of the solution for formingfthe lwater resistant'coating.

Ifthe antiseptic `solutionis to be used after the .'.waterresistant coating has' been `formed and .'driedrthen a chlorine'solutionor metaphen soluftion is preferably used. tvlz'W'hile itis an-object to produce'these pa'dg24 at 30 with the support 6. Preferably either the 1rod II as oneY element or the arms 22 and 23 as lthe other element are flexible, that is, composed of'atyieldable material so that the rotation of "difierent angles relative to the support 6. Pref- .-.erably-therod II is composed of a yieldable ma- `-nally, all'three rods II, 22 -and 23 may be composedofyieldable material so long as they will cooperate With the sleeve 8 and shank 9 to adjust the angular position of the holder i5 relative to the support 6.

`such low cost so'thatthey may be "thrown away y after having-'been used-fora single treatment, 'it 'isobvious' that they may be sterilized by any `method of coldsterilizatiorrnot harmful to the tissues and thus be used a number of.` times,

"thereby greatly: reducingfthe-cost of this-'device For this reason, depending upon the thicknessrof the frods II, 22 and 23, and the yieldability of the material, variouslengths may be selected for the distance Aof the rods I I, 22 and 23 `between the end of thesupport 6 andthe holder I5. Excellent results have been achieved when the rods 22 and 23 are about three-fourths of an inch 'from the support 6 to the pivot pins 20, 2 I and the diameter of the rod I I does vnot exceed `one-sixteenth of an inch,v substantially as shown in Fig. 1. While obviously the size andshape of the'pads lMfmay'vary Without departing from the general spirit of the invention, it may be pointed out that v'composed of artificial silk, rayon, cotton or fabric, in which case, preferably it should also be conformed as illustrated in Fig. 5, it having been found that substances such as wool felt or other fabrics are'sufciently rigid effectively yto clean and polish teeth and also toY massage gums as compared as aninstance to a metal which-might `-abrade or injure the enamel of a tooth when scraped across a tooth surface and also injurethe skin of a gum if reciprocated across a gum inthe manner that a felt pad would be manipulated to massage a gum.` In place of` wool felt, any other lsuitable felt or like fabric may be used andpreferably provided with a moisture-proof coating or immersed in a` moisture-proof solution if Iwater or moisture 'would `cause the fibers to disintegrate. ce

It is obvious that various changes and modications may be made .to the details of` constructionand to the steps of the process without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

, I claim:

l; In a tooth cleaning ldevice,vthe combination of a chambered support, anA elongatedn shank mounted for longitudinal movement in saidsupport, a control sleeve'screw-threadedly connected to said shank securely to .anchor .the shank and adjust the position of thesame, there being openings in said supportto' position said sleeve and aivford access to the same,l achambered'holder piv- -lotally'f connected toonek end lof: saidsupport'and to one end of said shank, the pivotal connections between said holder on the one hand and said handle and shank on the other hand being spaced from one another so that longitudinal movement of said shank relative to said support Will vary the angular relationship of said holder to said support, and a tooth cleaning device removably mounted in the chamber of said holder.

2. In a tooth cleaning device, the combination of a handle, an elongated chambered support secured to said handle, a shank slidably mounted for longitudinal movement in the chamber of said support, a sleeve screw-threadedly mounted on said shank securely to anchor the same, there be ing openings in said support to position said sleeve and aiord access to same, two arms eX- tending from said support, said shank having a ilexible rod portion extending from said shank, a holder pivotally connected to the free end of said rod portion and to the free ends of said arms, the pivotal connection of said arms being in alliiement with one another and being spaced from the pivotal connection of said rod portion, and a cleaning device removably mounted in said holder.

3. In a tooth cleaning device, the combination of a handle, an elongated chambered support secured to said handle, a shank mounted for longitudinal movement in the chamber of said support, a sleeve screW-threadedly mounted on said shank, there being openings in said support to position said sleeve and alford access t0 same, two arms extending from said support, said shank having a exible rod portion extending from said shank, a holder pivotally connected to the free end of said rod portion and to the free ends of said arms, the pivotal connection of said arms being in alinement with one another and being spaced from the pivotal connection of said rod portion, and a cleaning device removably mounted in said holder, the walls of said holder being tapered, and the sides of said cleaning device being tapered, and conforming to the chamber of said holder.

4. In a tooth cleaning device, the combination of a handle, an elongated chambered support secured to said handle, a shank mounted for longitudinal movement in the chamber of said support, a sleeve screw-threadedly mounted on said shank, there being openings in said support to position said sleeve and afford access to same, two arms extending from said support', said shank having a flexible rod portion extending from said shank, a holder pivotally connected to the free end of said rod portion and to the free ends of said arms, the pivotal connection of said arms being in alinement with one another and being spaced from the pivotal connection of said rod portion, and a cleaning device removably mount ed in said holder, said holder being rectangular in cross-section Iwith its side Walls inclined to one another, and the Sides of said cleaning device being inclined to one another, and conforming to the chamber of said holder.

MICHAEL J. McCAUGI-ILEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 403,350 Horsey May 14, 1889 419,675 Hersey Jan. 21, 1890 1,785,536 Spaeth Dec. 16, 1930 1,835,319 Meyers 1 Dec. 2, 1931 2,267,075 Brown Dec. 23, 1941 

